An existing service provider, which may be a video information provider, a data service provider, or a video and data provider, has a central office from which information is communicated to a network interface. For example, a coaxial cable may run from the office through a neighborhood, and have numerous physical drops that run into customer houses. The network interface, at the end of a physical drop, connects to a set top box that is used by the end user to select desired items for reception as video or data items. In these existing systems, the provider's entire bandwidth of information is sent from the office, and is present at each physical drop. As such, the set top box or selection device has access to all of the bandwidth, and if desired, may be programmed to allow or forbid access to certain portions of the entire bandwidth of information.
Although these existing systems have been employed in many video and/or data communication systems that have been commercially successful, there are inherent disadvantages in these types of systems. For example, beside the user having the ability to select from a variety of different channels, other services are typically very limited. More particularly, although there are a growing number of services available over a network that has a physical drop at a customer's home, such as services available through sites on the worldwide web, a customer must take a number of steps to obtain these services. More particularly, a customer must have some form of Internet access available, log onto the Internet through a service provider, and then locate the website of the party that offers the desired service. For example, it may be possible to subscribe to a newspaper or magazine by filling out a form on a website.
However, a person may not enjoy or may not be comfortable with the Internet as a medium for requesting service. Still further, a person may not have a home computer.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved video and data communication system that overcomes the problems and limitations of the prior art.